ADDIS ABABA – The Ministry of Agriculture is working to distribute more than 17.89 million quintals of fertilizer this crop season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ministry Public Relations Director Abera Lemma told The Ethiopian Herald that out of this, the Ministry has already commenced the distribution of some 14.7 million quintals of fertilizer.
Again, out of the 11.4 million quintals of fertilizer that would be transported from the port of Djibouti, some 3.3 million quintals have already been delivered to federal and state warehouses, he added.
He said this year’s total fertilizer reserve has shown a 17 percent increment from the previous year, adding that, this will ease supply shortage.
He further said that the Ministry and other stakeholders have finalized all the necessary preparation to supply more than 697,000 quintals of improved seeds.
As to him, the Ministry is working in coordination with the Ministry of Transport, Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise (ESLS) and Farmers’ Cooperative Unions to reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 in the distribution of fertilizers.
As of the Ministry’s successive measures taken, this year’s fertilizer and other agricultural inputs supplies have already reached the port of Djibouti earlier than that of the previous year. “Hence, COVID-19 will not affect the supply,” he said. “All protective measures of Covid-19 are taken during all transportation processes into distribution centers as well as to the final destinations, the farmers’ doorsteps.
The Ministry has been disseminating different instructions to respective stakeholders and farmers to avoid unnecessary gatherings in the distribution of fertilizers.
According to him, the Farmers’ Cooperative Unions at different parts of the country are playing a significant role in distributing the fertilizer and other agricultural inputs to their members.
“No transportation problem happens on the ongoing fertilizer distribution process”, he indicated.
Meanwhile, the Federal Transport Authority called upon transboundary freight transporters to engage in soil fertilizer and wheat transportation recently.
The Authority has called for the deployment of additional transporters from its existing contractors to fulfill the soil and wheat transport within 60 days beginning May 04, 2020.
According to the call, the authority has issued a quota scheme for all transboundary and domestic dry cargo transporters and organizations.
As a result, the associations and organizations in the sector have received a letter from the Federal Transport Authority calling on them to fulfill their national responsibility by sending their vehicles to the port on the dated time.
The Ethiopian Herald May 14/2020
BY TEWODROS KASSA
